Discrete, spatiotemporal, wavelet multiresolution analysis method for computing optical flow
Thomas J. Burns · Optical Engineering · 1994
A wavelet-based system for computing localized velocity fields associated with time-sequential imagery is described. The approach combines the mathematical rigor of the multiresolution wavelet analysis with well-known spatiotemporal frequency flow computation principles. The foundation of the approach consists of a unique, nonhomogeneous multiresolution wavelet filter bank designed to extract moving objects in a 3-D image sequence based on their location, size, and speed. The filter bank is generated by an unconventional 3-D subband coding scheme that generates 20 orientation-tuned filters at each spatial and temporal resolution. The frequency responses of the wavelet filter bank are combined using a least-squares method to assign a velocity vector to each spatial location in an image sequence. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the flow computation abilities of the wavelet vector motion sensor.